Speedrye build

I opened up the projectors and painted the innards with a high temp white:


Reassembled partially and trimmed the chrome shroud to fit.  You can see the reflection of the white on the inside of the projector.  I wanted it to blend with the chrome so these weren't too noticeable:



I need to find some safety wire before I can do any more for now, so I went ahead and plugged one in to see how it looked.  I like it.  I like it a lot!

Are those headlights or what?

They're a lot brighter than my headlights, but they're going to be my driving lights to replace the Hellas that are currently in the bumper.  Since they have a sharp cutoff, I can use them in traffic without blinding anyone.  They also have a high beam that lifts the cutoff, so my high beam will be much brighter too  I had a smaller version in my ARB and loved driving it at night.  MUCH more light that I could actually use on a daily basis.  They'll go in the bumper holes:

Ryan, I don't think I've seen a picture of the FJ (the whole thing) since you've started this bumper build!  You should post a zoomed out pic!

Hmm, good point.  I don't have any, so I'll see what I can come up with.

We need pichers! 

Really looks great.

Oh hell, what am I getting myself into now?

am I  seeing air cylinders?

Not sure, but hooked together like that, I'd believe whatever they are will be fairly ineffective.

You guys are seeing air cylinders, and the configuration shown obviously isn't the final configuration, but they will be hooked together in their own closed loop and they're actually pretty efficient.  As shown, if I move one 1/16", the other moves 1/16" accordingly.  I have no clue how or if they'll work yet, but the idea is lights that move with the suspension.  I think the idea will work just fine, but getting and keeping them level and aligned when on flat ground is probably going to be a problem.

You so crazy....

No progress in the past few months, but I do have the final pieces for the bumper wings and light mounts being made currently.  I've also got most everything I need to finish the four HID lights that I'm making for the bumper.

Plans fell through on the big 109w LED spot lights since they're still being developed and won't be ready anytime soon.  In lieu of those, I've ordered a new Baja Designs ONX 20" LED bar that will go inside the lower bumper opening where the Rigid Dually LEDs were.

My garage has plenty of FJ parts in it, but I have no time for them.  So sad...

Speedrye wrote:

My garage has plenty of FJ parts in it, but I have no time for them.  So sad...

Ryan, you need to get your priorities straight... 

No kidding.  My poor FJ is neglected.  Front brakes are shot and I still keep driving it (100k miles on original set), even with the replacements parked 4' away in the garage.  I broke one of my antennae off on a tree and it's just sitting there looking sad on my work bench.  Heck, I've even got a pressure washer now and can't find the time to clean the FJ's belly and start the rust removal process.

So sad... 

To be honest, I've been feeling like I'm neglecting mine too!  I have a bunch of little things I need to do, but my problem is just that I've been too dang lazy each time I get home!

well im working everyday on mine...skids, new bumper for the front probably rear bumper in a few weeks. repaint project OD....and a few other things...

I found a few minutes to actually do something to my FJ!!  After winning the Rigid Dually LEDs at the spring show, I ended up trading those to Joe on the forum here for some 2007 FJ wheels.  I ended up selling those on the blue room for a little profit and used those proceeds to pay for most of the new hotness in LED lighting.  Baja Designs ONX.  20" bar mounted in the lower opening of my bumper.

The 20" of Rigid Specters I have up top were ridiculously bright, but so far, this ONX (while rated at less lumens) throws some serious light out there.  It goes to show, lumen ratings aren't everything.  The workmanship and quality of these lights are in a different league than Rigid, and any other LED bar I've seen for that matter.

I've also got the parts back from the laser cutter to finish the bumper wings and have ground them down so they're ready for welding.  I'll get to that when I can though...

YES!!!

I have mixed feelings.  I've still got to get the four HIDs in the bumper as well since those will be run on the street while the LED bars are WAY too bright to use around town.  So, in traffic at night, I can only use my headlights and can't see much, but when I get on the back country roads, HOLY S**T!  I can set trees on fire and incinerate deer at 300 yards!

Ryan... when you gonna get this bumper finished?!  One would think you're chiseling from stone here! hahaha

Heck, I could've chiseled this thing and polished it to a granite countertop-like sheen quicker than doing it in metal.  Actually the problem is that I don't have a welder, so I'm relying on a friend for welding.  Unfortunately, he's just as busy at work as I have been, so schedules have been a mess.  I should be over to his place in the next week or so, and I'll wire up some air pumps for his air lockers while he's welding (hopefully).  I might have to give up on him and start harassing Mike!

On a side note, the new Ebay LED bar showed up today!  I'll post pictures tonight once I get home so that you can compare it to yours.  I really don't need 60"+ of LED bar, but it'll make for an interesting comparison at the very least.

I highly recommend you turn your high beams off when coming out me because God forbid I flash my lights back at you.  As seen from 500':



Preliminary light bar review coming soon

Bahahaha!  You should get Mike to help you finished it already!  You know the world is anxiously waiting to see the final result!

PS, We should have a nighttime jousting match with our lighting!

DamnItsAGlasgow wrote:

Bahahaha!  You should get Mike to help you finished it already!  You know the world is anxiously waiting to see the final result!

PS, We should have a nighttime jousting match with our lighting!

Whoever gets blinded, drives off and wrecks their truck is the loser I assume?    I might give Mike a call before long though, I want to get these corners protected so I can practice my Pitman maneuvers on texters going down the road.

JOUST TO THE WRECK/DEATH!